3,914 total views, 2 views today
May 20
All packed up and in the box with the Paragon
This build is well underway, will feature lots of white and red, with a touch of yellow on the right wing. (Update Nov 16 or??)
Rather then cord operated spoilers I’m gonna add a couple servos , one in each wing. Also there’s a standard channel style tow hook assembly en route.
rudder and fin white
stab all red top and bottom
white canopy and fuse
So, a sister for the blue AG, who would have thought.
Aquila Grande
Just off the covering bench, and out for 1st exposure to sun light
Pretty Bird
Thanks Dave for the great shots.
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Stab set ready, there’s some sanding and of course the covering
Nov 18 2014
Lower and upper center panel trailing edges, the lower edge later will get a bevel added
Tip panels set for wing join, well shaped tips are missing
Center panel LE sheeting, have to shape a left and a right side of these
Rest of lower center panel sheet
Main spars, marked for ribs.
The rest of the stuff, ready to go
Nov 21
Rest of lower sheeting in place. lower cap strips are placed next, and then the lower spar.
Nov 24
Lower rib caps in place, the Aquilas are interesting in that the lower sheeting and cap strips are placed before the lower spar is glued to the top of them. Next I’ll place and glue the lower spars.
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Dec 05
Right center panel spar in place, rather then just pin the spar to a line, I like to locate the ends and then place a straight edge against the backside of the spar.
Ribs cut and ready to go, some of then have the extra relief for the spoilers
I use a handy little square to set and glue one rib after the other
These wings will have servo actuated spoilers, so I’ve added holes into the ribs from the servo to the root rib, on the forward side of the spar
Right panel is really beginning to take shape.
Dec10
Left center panel. Slots added to ribs for forward plywood spar web
Right center panel , forward spar web in place
Panels both removed from board.
Dec 12
Things begin to get critical, that’s when you start locating wing rod tubes into wings.
Once the root ribs are the same, and the fuse sides and corresponding holes are the same then all is fine..
The wings are straight and the tubes where glued in with the rear edges straight. They match up to the fuse absolutely wonderful.
That makes me happy. :):)
Tubes just tacked in in case I have to remove them.
Rear shear web in place
Dec 14
Stab set and fin post fairing fillers, I shape these all together before gluing fillers to fins much easier then sanding on the fuselage.
Stabilizer roots, the Aquila Grande’s Horizontal stab is different then the Aquila, thus the root fillet blend on the AG is also different
Fuselage bottom rear sheeting, placed cross grain..
Dec 15
Rear bottom sheeting in place, I’ve seen fuses rather scuffed up in this area so have place some denser balsa towards the rear.
Fin leading edge filet, tricky curves and needs to line up with stab root fillets..
Lots going on here
Rear canopy fairing, rough shape in place, I’ll finish this of once I get the wing root fillets added
Wing profile on the AG is different then that of the Aquila STD, thus the wing root fillets are also different on the fuselage
Also, the wing rods are different size in the original kits as well as the distance from wing rod to incidence pin is different
Dec 17
Stab set sanded , requires final 360 G sanding and they will be ready for red covering
Stabs placed on fin, Nice.
Dec 21
Aft fairing block and root fairing ply in place
Slot for servo wire and hole for wing eyelet thru root fairing
Forward fairing block in place
Canopy floor and frame
Looking like an Aquila Grande
Dec 30 2014
Tip and center panel joiners, the plans only call for fillers but I thought that’s a waste so I carved some joiners from 3/16 balsa.
Ply webs are added after
Sub spar in place, working my way towards tip to center panel join
Center panels fit nicely to the fuse.
Jan 04 2015
Servos and red ultra cote in the shop
Servo bay 285 Jr servo
wing tip join 3.75″ above board at last rib
Both wing panels one 204 G the other 209 G
1st real winter snowfall here today
Jan 18
The fun begins tip has a unique shape and tapers down to 1/16 music wire at the trailing edge
Trailing edge top side in place
Top LE sheet as well as filler sheet behind the spar
Both wing panels big wings lots of parts , still need to finish up sheeting around spoiler bay and do up the rib caps.
Up Next
You guessed it , sand sand and once the wings are sanded I can finish the root are nicely to the fuse for a smooth blend.
Ultracote is here and I’ll make sure to add a strip of yellow on one wing only :):)
Jan 19
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Jan 20
Spoiler blade stops
Finishing up the top sheet around the spoiler bay
Rest of the rib caps get added
Finishing the tips sand sand
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Feb 02
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Feb 13
At this point theres a lot of sanding and fitting, sometimes things that go unnoticed on a finished plane,. I like to see rounded edges and smooth transitions
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Feb 18
Wing root blend, as the wings get sanded so does their fit to the fuselage, after this I’ll move onto the fuse and get it set for paint.
Feb 20
Lower spruce skid, 1/8 x 1/2 spruce, gets topped later with a strip of rubber
Sanding for and aft canopy pieces, in my view this is where the Aquila G gets it’s classic looks from
I have a beater canopy I use for this , but it looks nice:)
PS the Canopy on the Aquila and AG is like no other, the Graupner Cirrus and the Astro Jeff may be similar and fit but they are different .
Depends on how fussy you are, and I am fussy :):)
Feb 24
spruce skid which later gets covered with a strip of rubber
Tow hook and bar in place
More details, clevis and 2-56 fittings as well as rudder horn. Final steps before painting and covering can begin
Feb 28
Topside, all blended I’ll be able to add the red to the horizontal stab and the white to the rudder soon.
Underside at rear
Forward underside of fuse.
A little more snow
Nuttby Mtn, about 20 mins south of us.
People often ask why the high marked post are on the side of the road.
As you can see, they come in handy in the winter when the snow blos in and builds up against a stand of trees on the downwind side.
These pictures where taken yesterday
Feb 28 Pt II
Stab weights
Vertical stab
Partially covered, some inside and outside corners get an extra layer
Mar 06
8 grams added to the stab set after covering
Covering for the wings ready for placing. tops bottoms ends , yellow bands etc
Mar 06 Cont.
I look to add some color to the corners in openings before I do the covering
Same with the spoiler openings
Underside of tips gets covered
My helpers, a couple 4 lb weights, these keep the wings in place while I heat and stretch the covering
Both tips upper and lower side
Right wing with the yellow band , I hope I got this correct
Mar 09
some mp
ore covering, not shrunk yet
Getting a head start on mounting spoiler servos
and extending the servo arms. I like the wiper arm, you can bend it in
so many shapes, and it does a wonderful job of opening the spoiler
Mar 12
Spoiler servos and covers, I like to pin the rails to the bottom as well
All set , this sure took a while, next time the covers will be mad a bit deeper, wider?
All buttoned up, I’ll route the wire nicer at another time
One AG wing set ready to go..
April 19
All white Fuselage, has two coats of brushed on enamel. Third coat is necessary and then I’ll see.
May 04
Preparing the SS cable for silver soldered 2-56 end termination.
A wet rag against the fuse and a piece of aluminum as a shield.
May 06
Balanced at rear edge of spar
Weight 1484 G
Including:
Receiver 38G
Eneloop 107G
Lead 132G
1484 G equals 52.4 Oz
May 7
Canopy
After considerable sanding and shaping the canopy fits the frame nicely..
This is a one shot process, and hopefully the glue isn’t all over the canopy when I am finished.
